


Pet

by RavenTao



Category: Teen Titans
Genre: Beast Boy mans up, Character Death, Depression, I don't like Teen Titans Speedy, I hated her anyway, Jason isn't dead, M/M, Mas y Menos die, Robin is a caged bird, Sarfire dies, Slade Rules The World, Stockholm Syndrome, because he's more angsty and that's what this story needed, did I mention the angst?, more angst., so instead I made him Young Justice Speedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-11
Updated: 2014-12-11
Packaged: 2018-03-01 01:26:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2754407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenTao/pseuds/RavenTao
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The year didn't matter. The heroes were nowhere to be seen. Evil had finally taken it's turn in power. He was broken beyond repair, would never fly again. All he had to do now ... was survive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, Raven here;  
> This is really super old, so if you find mistakes, because you will, just let me know and I'll try to fix them.
> 
> I've never written Sladin before, and it's hard to wrap my head around Slade's character, so if you think he's too OOC please tell me.
> 
> I hope you like it, it was based off of the song Pet by a Perfect Circle. Some of the lyrics will show up, so if you know the song, keep an eye out ;)

He stood at the window of the cottage that he now called "home." It overlooked the country side and in the distance one could see the smoke rising and the flames bellowing from the once great Jump City. Titan tower was in shambles and the boy wondered what had become of the people that had once occupied it not more than a year ago. Sad, empty, sapphire blue eyes scanned the dark, midnight skies, searching for some sign that what was reality was only a nightmare. Life before this had been great. Life now was, or rather  _could be_  … enjoyable … for him anyway. But outside the walls of the cottage the boy knew it was hell on earth. But such thoughts only depressed him. He was always scolded about being upset. He was expected to be cordial, to take the stress away. That was his job, the expectations placed on to him. He was meant to be the one that would never leave him …  _couldn't_  leave him. At first he had tried to leave. God knew he had tried; he had given it his all and then some. But the other man was always a step ahead. One day, to deal with it all he had  _seriously_  considered suicide. But that was the coward's way out and as much as it sounded appealing, whatever shred was left of his pride wouldn't let him. He reached his hand out to the window, stopping when his pale fingers met the cold steel of the iron bars on the window, a result of one of his many escape attempts. Soon he had learned to just give up. It was  _good_  here, it was  _safe_  here.  _This_  was the only sanctuary left. He didn't want to remember his life from before. It hurt too much to think about it. About his friends, his family, even his enemies, it was all just too much. What had even become of them? What would become of  _him_? His mind was made up. Enough fighting the inevitable, he would embrace his new life. He may not like it, but at the moment he was both the most well off person in the world and the worst in this time of chaos. The best because whatever material item he desired, he received. Not that he wanted anything form  _that man_  but what little he had asked for had been provided for him. But he was also the worst because the one thing he yearned for most, was constantly denied. He wanted his friends back. He wanted his life back … and most of all he wanted his  **freedom**  back. Because, while it was true that life outside the cottage was awful, the people out there at least had friends. They had family. They had a choice … they had freedom, even if only in the confines of their own minds it was still more than he himself had. He was a prisoner in every way, not even his thoughts were his own.

"Robin. I've told you Sadness doesn't become you. Are you still upset with me about the window?" came a deep baritone voice from behind him. That voice that sent chills up and down his spine of both pleasure and terror. It was a voice that instilled such white hot fury and yet gave him such undeniable comfort. The raven haired boy turned to the man, tears in his clouded blue eyes and a strained smile on his face.

"I'm sorry." He choked out, his voice scratchy and raw from screaming and then silence for what felt like an eternity but was probably more like a month or so. But then, what was time in this new world now anyway? Slade was the ruler of the world now, ruler of everything … even him. For him, for Robin, he had failed. He was nothing more than a caged bird now. He had become a prize, a trophy, something the mercenary had won, and would never throw away.

"Sorry? Care to elaborate Robin?"

"You've been patient and considerate with me since I arrived here & I've been … ungrateful. It's horrible out there and here I am complaining about the roof over my head and, the food in front of me, and even you; whereas the people outside these walls would kill for even a fraction of all this." Slade was confused, but was never a man to let his weakness show so, he went with it.

"I'm glad you finally see things my way." He smirked, Robin turned back to the window.

"They're all suffering … aren't they?" Robin whispered to himself but loud enough for the older man to hear his concern. Slade stepped closer to his broken bird and placed a hand on his shoulder. Robin looked up to him again, the tears in his cerulean eyes threatening to fall, ready to burst through the dam and pour down the young, former hero's face.

"Don't fret my precious bird. I'm here." He smirked, and started to pull Robin away from the window and back to his bed, expecting some resistance per usual, but was surprised to find the young man to be quite compliant. "Step away from the window, and go back to sleep." He shushed. The former Titans leader only nodded obediently and walked with Slade back to his double wide bed. He yawned and got under the navy blue sheets, laying his head back on the soft downy pillow.

"I truly am sorry for fighting you for so long … Master." Robin mumbled as he turned away from Slade to face the wall. He wasn't happy that he had to lower himself like that, but he was helpless; there was nothing else he could do so why fight it when things could be so much better? So Robin set aside what was left of his pride and dignity and chose the less physically painful path.

"It's fine, don't worry about outside Robin, all that matters is right here. So get some sleep." Slade answered, tucking the former hero into bed and walking out of the room, turning the lights off as he walked passed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Speedy is in this chapter, well actually, Titans East in general are in this chapter, and I just wanted to say; I don't like Teen Titans Speedy, so I based Speedy more off of Speedy from Young Justice. I did keep everyone else pretty similar to their original characters ... I think ... I hope. That's really the only thing I needed to warn anyone about. YJ!Speedy instead of TT!Speedy
> 
> ~ Raven

As Robin lifted his head from the uncomfortable metal table, he groaned. He pushed himself into a sitting position but found he couldn't do much more than that. He couldn't even lift his hand to his head to try and ease his throbbing headache.

"You're awake, I'm glad." Came Slade's voice from across the room. "I thought you'd sleep through the show." He smirked. At first Robin was confused. What show could Slade be talking about? Then he saw them; Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, Speedy, Aqualad, Bee, even Mas and Menos. His team, and even Titans East, they were all passed out, and badly bruised, sprawled across the cold concrete floor across the room. The Titans leader had tried to get up, tried to help his friends, to at least get to them, but was still confined to the cold metal table. Finally Robin looked down to himself, his belt, his gloves, even his boots were gone, his cape was across the room lying next to Raven. Upon further inspection he found his wrists to be chained to the table. For a moment Robin wondered how out of it he was to not have noticed that before now, but pushed it aside when he got a better look at what was separating him from his friends, it was hard to see in the inconsistent flickering of the light, but it was there; a large glass wall. Even if he had somehow been able to get out of the restraints placed on him, without his weapons, it would have done little good. He wouldn't have been able to protect his friends, let alone even get to them. Without his weapons, he was useless … defenseless … but he didn't have to let the enemy know that. The young hero growled.

"What are you planning?!" the man accused tutted and shook his head.

"Really Robin, do you honestly think you are in any position to fight me right now?" Even if Robin couldn't see the older villain's face, he could hear that damnable smirk in his voice. Robin fought against the chains, thrashing about, so wrapped up in trying to get out that he didn't even notice Slade walk up to him. The hero was then informed quite violently when he felt the sting of the man's rough hand on his cheek. For a moment Robin was stunned into silence, Slade had slapped him, but that just infuriated him all the more, and his thrashing began again, the cuffs biting into his wrists painfully.

"Let them go!" Robin shouted.

"Now, Robin, there is one way, and one way only to save your friends … for now." He paused for the boy to look at him, when he didn't Slade grabbed the teen's chin and turned his face to him forcefully. His grey eye boring into Robin's own masked blue ones.

"I have been very lenient with you, but I will not tolerate rudeness. You will look at me when I talk to you. Do you understand?" Robin only glared. His reward being another sharp slap to the face, and without being able to move his face within Slade's hand, it stung all the more. Still Robin stood his ground. He growled and spat at him, all the while Slade staring him down like a disgruntled owner would to his disobedient puppy. Slade answered the teen's growl with a backhand to the boy's other cheek. "I can keep this up all night Robin, but, I'm not so sure you pretty face can do the same." Slade hummed into the boy's ear. Slade pulled back, his ash eye softening as he moved Robin's face side to side to assess the damage done to the little bird. He took in the bright red marks left by his calloused hand and smiled to himself, red really did suit his little robin well. "I mean really, you brought this on yourself. All I asked was for you to be polite, it's not an outrageous demand. I'm sure The Batman taught you manners, yes? Well, never mind." He gave a mock sigh of resignation "If you don't want to save your friends, that's on you. I get what I want regardless." That smirk in his voice was back. Robin could practically see it in his gleaming grey eye. Robin glanced to his unconscious friends across the room then sighed, might as well hear the psychopath out and then figure out how to drop kick the bastard into next week … if he was ever to get out of the damn chains that was. As things stood, he really didn't have a plan, and Batman had taught him to always have a plan. So he turned his glare back onto the man in front of him. Jaw set tight, his glare so intense that if the boy had had laser vision Slade would have been dead in a millisecond. Though, of course, Slade simply brushed it off as if it were nothing.

" **What. Do. You. Want**?" he almost hissed with a venom Slade hadn't known the boy was capable of producing, seeping into his words, he could almost hear the chains melt as the acid hit them the way Robin spat out the question.

"Now that you're listening  _hero_  I can move on to why you're here. What I want is you, little bir-

"I already told you I—"

Smack!

The sound echoed in the empty building, and Robin would be lying if he said that one didn't hurt, but, that was just what he had to do, lie. He wasn't going to be weak in front of this man.

"Interrupting is rude Robin. Now, as I said before; you  _will_  address me as you would anyone else, properly and with your  _manners_. Now, as I was saying. I'm not asking you to be my apprentice; that ship has sailed. No, I want you to be my entertainment. You see, I get oh so lonely sometimes." He chuckled and rounded the table the young hero was still constrained to, never taking his hand off of Robin. As he walked he let his hand fall from Robin's face to his chest and trail back up to his shoulder. Once he was directly behind Robin he stopped, and leaned forward over the young titan's shoulder to speak directly into his ear. "Of course I would take care of you." Slade picked up, not missing a beat. "I would feed you, I would train you.  _Bathe_  you." He smirked as Robin turned a wonderful array of colors from red to green in under a minute. "I can't very well keep a dirty bird now can I?" he chuckled to himself again, low in his throat, and Robin could almost feel the vibrations of the sound in his ear. "I would take care of you." He repeated. "Protect you even. I do take very good care of my possessions you see."

"Protect me? From what? You want me to be your … your  _pet_  or something?! Is that it?"

"My bird, you are already my pet. Look around, don't you like your pretty new cage?" Slade laughed deeply, it shook Robin to his very core. "And I  _would_  protect you. I could protect you from your enemies and all your demons."

"You're my enemy! And you know nothing of my demons." The last part was quiet and more for himself than the sake of the argument he was having, he hadn't meant for the older villain to hear him, but as fate would have it, Slade had. And how could he have not? The man was looming over him like a vulture.

"I could if you would let me. I don't have to be your enemy, we could get along very well if you would just get rid of your useless pride and ridiculously skewed sense of right and wrong. Robin you should know by now that the world isn't only black and white. There are many different shades of grey as well. I could even protect you from your own choices." Slade straightened up and walked back to the glass wall. "Though, I can't say the same of your friends. And they won't live to see tomorrow if you do not accept my gracious offer. Because either way Robin, you will be mine. Willingly or by force, if necessary."

"Never!"

Slade sighed.

"What a shame. Oh well, I had preferred an intact little bird when I started this, but I guess it's irrelevant. I suppose a broken bird is still better than no bird at all. Perhaps you'll change your mind with a bit of persuasion."  _'After all I still want you to sing for me, and if you break completely now, I won't have the proper satisfaction when it comes time to break you later.'_  Slade added to himself, pressing a red button to the side of the transparent wall and spoke again. "Time to wake up Titans. I hope you enjoyed your little nap, but the show must in fact go on I'm afraid." Slade's voice carried through a sound system, Robin could hear it, muffled as it was, bouncing and echoing off the walls of the cell his friends were in. Robin breathed a momentary sigh of relief when he saw everyone move on the ground. Raven groaned, Cyborg's lights came whirring back to life, Beast Boy gave a small moan of protest as he pushed himself up off the damp, cold, brick ground. Starfire put her hand to her head then went to help Bumble Bee and Aqualad. Speedy pushed himself up and looked around, took out his bow and reached for an arrow that wasn't there, realizing his quiver was gone he threw the useless bow at the glass, cursing. Many of the words the archer spewed Robin hadn't even heard Batman use even in his angriest of fits. Mas and Menos rushed to Speedy's side, speaking quick spanish that Robin could only catch bits and pieces of.

"Where are we?" being the most he could catch.

"Now, now Mr. Archer, that won't do. You should work on your anger management." Slade chuckled.

"Slade what have you done with Robin? We know you have him!" Raven shouted, obviously peeved. When Robin opened his mouth to speak, Slade held up a hand to silence him.

"I do have him, he's just fine. He's right here actually. We were just working on our manners ourselves, were we not my precious bird?" there was a purr to Slade's voice as he said "precious" one that made Robin shudder.

"Go to hell Slade!" Robin bit back. Slade sighed loudly.

"Alas, we didn't get very far. Oh well, it's a work in progress I suppose."

"Robin, are you okay man?" Aqualad asked looking around.

"Where are you, you son of a –

"Language, language young lady." Slade interrupted as Bee made a mad dash at the wall to break free of the room.

"Manners Slade." Robin mocked "Interrupting is rude, remember?" The masked boy smirked. "Or are you the exception?" Slade growled.

"Don't test me boy, you will regret it."

"What? Are you gonna hit me again? I'm a hero, remember, I'm used to physical abuse. Harley Quin hits harder than you do for that matter!" Robin snapped, trying to distract Slade, maybe if he got mad enough at him he'd forget about his friends and let them go? It wasn't much of a plan but it was all he had ... and it really didn't seem to be working as the man's eye narrowed on him.

"Perhaps I need a new method of discipline then." Slade's voice took on a darker tone as he spoke of punishment. "My dear Titans, this whole room that you are in is made of indestructible two way mirrors, I have modified it even further to be impervious to both the variety of powers you all possess and brute strength. There is zero chance of you leaving that room alive unless I permit it."

"Which you won't do, will you?" Beast Boy groaned, leaning against the back wall, his head in his hands, fingers tugging on his hair almost painfully, looking greener than usual.

"On the contrary, there is one way to leave."

"What? Make you king of the world or somethin'?" Bee asked sarcastically, a hand on her hip, and her eyebrow raised sardonically.

"No, you hardly have that kind of power." Slade chuckled. "No, the only way you will be leaving that room is for our little Robin over here, bound and helpless to save you all, to accept my offer." The smile in his voice and the pure mirth in his eye as Slade turned to him made Robin's blood run cold, and his skin crawl.

"Robin would never join you! He never has and never will!" Cyborg shouted.

"Leave Robin alone!" Speedy demanded over Cyborg's objection. Starfire gasped and started to tell the two younger boys what was going on, her Spanish fluent, and fast.

"As I told Robin earlier, I don't want him to join me any longer, to be my apprentice, I want him to submit to me." He lowered his voice, but not enough that the other's couldn't hear "You will be mine Robin, one way or another."

"Don't do it Robin!" Speedy called to him.

"¡No! ¡Señor Robin, no lo hagas!" Mas shouted as well.

"We'll be fine man, don't listen to him. There's nine of us and only one of him!" Aqualad added his two cents into the fray of exclamations directed at Robin. Robin was shaking almost, he wanted to listen to his friend, he wanted to tell them that he would never give in, but at the moment, … he really couldn't see the upside in the situation. Slade had the upper hand, he held all the cards, he could end them in any fashion he wanted and Robin wouldn't be able to do a thing.

"I don't want to …" he almost sobbed quietly, only just barely keeping his voice in check, he couldn't let his team know how truly terrified he was for them … for himself even. "But he said he'd kill you." Robin screwed his eyes shut tight, shaking his head violently, silently praying that the whole thing was a nightmare and that he'd wake up and everything would be just fine. He had to keep the mentality that nothing bad would actually befall his friends and teammates, even though in his heart and in his head, he knew it was only wishful thinking. "I … I can't risk you guys!" Robin bit out louder. And even though he was speaking so softly before, he knew that they had heard him. And even if they hadn't, they had definitely heard the last part. Robin had to will his eyes open, it was an uphill battle and when he finally was able to crack them open, he almost wished he hadn't even tried. The others were all wearing looks of shock and confusion. Some were even scared. Their fearless leader was caving, he was chipping and breaking. And there was nothing they could do to help.

"Dude, don't give in to him! He's tried this before, remember, we'll get through it like we always do!" Beast Boy tried to reason. Slade just stood back. Sooner or later he'd interject, but not just yet.

"Friend Robin, you must not worry about us. We shall all be okay." Starfire told him looking to the speakers where she could hear them rather than see their leader and assailant through the walls.

"Star …" Robin whispered. He really wished he could run in there and hug her, tell her it would all be alright, but as it stood, he couldn't even hug himself, tell himself it would all be okay, let alone convince anyone else that everything would work out.

"Very touching, really, but I'm afraid that none of you have a real say in this. Whether you make it out of that cell alive is completely up to Robin." Slade walked back over to Robin and leaned down to face him at eye level. "So, Robin, are you going to agree?" Robin looked between Slade and his friends, they didn't want him to give in, so he wouldn't. He steeled himself and narrowed his eyes on the taller man.

"I'd rather die!" he growled. Slade chuckled before a full out laugh boomed from his chest then picked up something from next to Robin's bed, a remote.

"That's the spirit, I was hoping you still had some fight left in you, it really wouldn't be any fun if you gave in without letting me play with your little friends first. And even if you'd rather die, that's not on the agenda." he pressed several buttons and suddenly he couldn't hear his friends words anymore, and when he turned away from Slade to look over to them, they were all staring at him. Bee, and Starfire had a hand over their mouths and their eyes wide. Cyborg and Beast Boy were banging on the glass angrily, shouting something that he couldn't hear. He didn't know what was happening, he whipped his head back to the mercenary in front of him.

"What did you do?"

"Oh nothing much, I merely muted their room, can't have them swaying your opinion now can I?" He pressed a few other buttons and suddenly there was a gas falling from the ceiling and everyone froze.

"W-What is that?"

"Don't worry, the gas is harmless, all it does is temporarily immobilize you. Your  _friends_  are fine. It'll wear off in under a minute, plenty of time for what I need to do." he answered casually as he walked over to the glass wall and rounded the corner to where it met the brick wall, and opened a door Robin hadn't known was even there. He slapped himself in his head, of course there was a door, how  _else_  had Slade gotten them in there? phasing them through the ceiling? Even Slade couldn't do that. As he watched Slade walk farther into the glass room he was horrified as he saw the man saunter up to one of the youngest members of Titans East; Mas. He took in a desperate breath as he watched, helpless, as Slade produce a large needle from somewhere on his person, his struggling renewed as the needle penetrated the flesh of Mas' arm. The transparent liquid in the syringe being injected slowly into the young hero's bloodstream. Robin pulled and twisted, he contorted himself into whatever shapes he could think of to try to get out of the chains binding him, but nothing worked. He couldn't help the pit in his stomach as he saw the villain leave the glass room .

"W-What was that?" Robin asked quietly. Slade relocked the door and waited a moment before answering not even bothering to look Robin in the eye, knowing that the young hero would be a mess once he knew. He waited for the effects of the gas to wear off before he spoke again.

"Hydrophis Belcheri venom." Robin wasn't sure what a Hydrophis Belcheri was but he did know "venom" was never good.

"What does it do?"

"It is a neurotoxin that affects the central nervous system, breathing and heart rate. It breaks down muscle and red blood cells, which plugs back into the liver so that it becomes acute liver failure. The victim can not move their arms nor legs. It causes severe pain, joint stiffness, muscle cramps and spasms, blindness, unconsciousness, and shortness of breath. With the amount I gave him, he'll be dead in two minutes or less." Slade recited, turning to Robin. "There is no antidote. That boy will die, and it will be all your fault." As Slade was speaking Robin could hear Mas start to gasp for air, his small hands going to this throat, scratching at it, trying to get the air to flow correctly. He watched horrified as the small boy's face turned blue and purple from suffocation. The cell was still muted, which right now, he thanked, he wouldn't be able to take hearing that. He could tell that Menos was panicking as he watched the other twin start crying as he grabbed his brother's arm, Starfire was trying to calm him down and Raven was doing her best to heal the dying hero, but neither seemed to be making much headway. Just as Slade had predicted, just a few moments later, Mas was dead. Not only had this been a death, it also effectively stopped Menos from using his powers as well. Robin could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks, and curled into himself as much he could.

"Stop." being the only thing that could come out of his mouth, almost like a mantra. He shut his eyes tight as he said it louder and louder each time. "Stop. Stop. STOP!" He didn't know if his friends could hear him and he couldn't open his eyes to see their reactions. Robin just wanted to find a nice quiet corner and die. He couldn't protect anyone, not himself, not his family, not his friends, and certainly not an entire city. What kind of joke had he been living up until now? All he was, was a circus brat with a few good toys. He had no powers, he had no way of helping anyone, let alone himself.

"Robin." The voice was soft now, and Robin could feel Slade's large hand pat his head, and it just felt so nice to have someone comfort him. He never let people comfort him because he never let people see this side of him, so when he caught himself about to lean into to feeling of that big, warm, tender hand running it's fingers through his hair … he almost wanted to be sick. He choked back a sob, curling up more, ignoring the pain in his joints as he pulled against the chains. "He didn't have to die." Slade whispered. "He could have lived, all you had to do, was say yes." Slade was almost too thrilled when he got an almost positive response from the cracking little bird.

"Don't kill anyone else." it was quiet, but Slade had heard it.

"You know how to make that happen. You just have to say it." Slade answered simply, his thumb wiping away one of the fallen droplets of salty water. He didn't want to make his bird cry, but he did need him to realize that he didn't have a say in the matter and that Slade would have his way, one way or another. He would admit that murder was a bit of an extreme way to go about persuading his little bird, but it seemed that that was the only way to get through to the young hero. Robin shook his head, still adamant as ever to not give in. "Robin." Slade said again, his voice harsher than before. "I have no qualms with killing all of your little friends today, but they don't have to die. If you keep denying me, they will all go one by one until you comply. Next will be the other boy, Menos I believe his name is. Then next, that pretty little empath, Raven. Followed by Beast Boy and Miss Bee. I will continue right down the list until they are all gone." he paused. "Don't think I wont." Robin's eyes snapped open and he sat up as best he could, his head whipped around to look Slade in the eye.

"No!" he shouted. Slade, from behind his back, pressed the mute button again so that Robin could hear the others, not that they were making much of any kinds of sounds at the moment, still grieving their lost teammate.

"What do you have to say to make me stop Robin?" Slade asked, that damnable smirk back in his voice.

"Yes." He choked out, looking away.

"Yes, what?" Slade prompted.

"Yes, I'll … submit … to you …" the last part was mumbled low and quiet, but it was loud enough that Slade could hear it. But just to engrave it further into his little birdie's mind, what he was truly agreeing to …

"Louder Robin." Robin clenched his eyes shut tighter, sobs wracking his body as he tried to get a hold of himself.

"Yes. … I'll submit to you." He said louder, feeling worse and worse about it every second. Slade was pleased.

"No." Starfire gasped, Slade couldn't have timed it better himself. Robin's eyes snapped open as he heard the small gasp and looked over to see Starfire, and all the others staring at him, all of them shocked.

"Why … How could you Robin? Did Mas die for nothing then?!" Speedy shouted. Robin tried to cover his ears as best he could, trying to block out the sound of the disappointment his friends felt towards him.

"I don't want more of you to die!" he shouted back.

"Forget about us, If you give in now, what would have been the point of-

"Speedy!" Robin looked up to Roy, to look him dead in the eye. "I don't want more of you to die! If sacrificing myself means that you all can live, then I'll do it!" Robin tried as hard as he could to not let on how much it hurt, but Roy was one of his best friends, one of the few people who knew who he was, under the mask. One of the few people he could trust with anything, but that also meant that Roy could see right through him. Speedy's angry look fell as he sighed. Speedy knew just as much as Robin did that this was for the best, that the more people that made it out of this whole thing alive, the better.

"Dude, Robin, what are you thinking?!" This time it was Beast Boy. But before the changeling could say any more, Speedy pulled him away.

"He's thinking, kid, that in order to save  _your_  life, he'll do anything." Speedy snapped. He had hoped that he could talk some sense into Robin, but he knew that it wouldn't matter, and that Robin would never forgive himself for Mas's death either.

"Well  _kids_ , it has been a pleasure, but it seems our time has run out," Slade spoke up, his tone condescending. As much as he loved seeing his little bird squirm, he had what he had come to get, so he would take his spoils and leave. He unlocked Robin's chains and sat him up, taking his arm and leading him to the back door of the warehouse. "The door is under time lock, by the time it opens, we will be long gone, if you try to find us, there will be no mercy, I will kill you. Do you understand Robin? Tell them not to search for you."

"I-I'll be okay guys … just don't get killed, please." Robin's voice cracked as he walked out the door with Slade. The only thought going through his mind now was this was the beginning of the end.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so the story officially starts now, it picks up a bit after the very first chapter, ya' know, the one that's super short and actually had to do with the summary? Yup, we actually go back to the plot! WOOT, I just had to give a little backstory to how Robin had actually gotten there. so hope ya' aren't too mad at me for that bit, but here we go then.
> 
> ~ Raven

_The only thought going through his mind now was; "This is the beginning of the end." … and it truly had been, in so many more ways than one._

_Once the team had gotten back to the tower, all of them, well, aside from Mas and Robin that was, were drained. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally. Completely. They were mourning the loss of two members, two irreplaceable members. None of them had said anything since Robin had left with Slade, too shocked and depressed to even bother. "I_ _-I'll be okay guys … just don't get killed, please." His parting words were ringing in everyone's heads. Then Beast Boy finally spoke up._

_"... How do we tell Batman?" His eyes were red and puffy, he'd been crying, and didn't look much better than anyone else in the group of depressed teens. Raven looked to him, even she couldn't hide her emotions right then._

_"Someone has to … Sooner rather than later too." None of them wanted to make that call. None of them wanted to face the big bad Bat with the news that Robin had been kidnapped, sacrificed rather, that none of them knew where he was or if he was alive, and if he was alive, how long he'd stay alive. They didn't know these things, and they were scared. They didn't know what had split the dynamic duo up, but they knew that despite whatever disagreements the two had had … they still cared for each other. They all exchanged a look, none of them wanted to do it. Especially not alone. Cyborg sighed and rubbed his face._

_"Alright. Let's do it now so we don't have to do it later then." He didn't want to do it any more than the rest, but since Robin was gone, someone had to step up. Someone had to make the hard decisions. And being second in command after Robin meant that that person was him. He walked to the computer and pressed the emergency button that connected them immediately to the Justice League. Superman was the one that answered, upon seeing all of the distraught teenagers he immediately called Wonder woman, not quite sure how to handle the situation._

_"What's wrong Titans?" She asked looking sympathetic._

_"It's Robin … He's-" Bee had started but couldn't finish, especially not after Starfire collapsed on the ground crying hysterically. Raven sent her a sympathetic look and took over as Bumble Bee went over to comfort their Tamaranian friend._

_"He's been ... kidnapped." She finished hesitantly._

_"You sound unsure, was he or was he not?" Wonder Woman asked, slightly confused._

_"Look, Miss Wonder Woman, it's complicated." Aqualad interjected._

_"sí, y mi hermano, más, está muerto! Fue culpa de Slade! Slade lo mató. Slade tomó Robin!" Menos screeched, his Spanish was slower now, but it was jumbled by tears, he was crying too, they all were. In the background, Raven could hear Starfire crying harder. She just couldn't take it. The alien had always been very close to people and she treasured each and every one of her friends. Having one die … on top of the one she loved taken away by the man who had killed said friend. It was taking it's toll on her. Not that the rest of them were in any better state of mind though. Wonder Woman nodded and turned to Superman, who was still off screen._

_"Clark, get Batman over here right now. Tell him it's important." She turned back to the screen and her gaze softened. "It'll be okay guys, We'll get Robin back, okay?" Raven shook her head._

_"You can't." She put her hood up, covering her face, but it still didn't hide the tears streaking down her cheeks. She choked out a quiet sob, wrapping her arms around herself, trying to keep herself together. "He said if we go looking for Robin that he'll kill us. The only reason Robin even went with Slade was because he killed Mas. He didn't want us to die, if we go looking for him-" Raven fell this time and before she even hit the ground Beast Boy was there for her, hugging her to his chest. He looked back up to the screen._

_"Before he left he told us not to look for him. He thinks he can handle this on his own." Speedy scoffed in the back. Unlike the rest of the Titans, Speedy hadn't cried or broken down, he was just angry. Angry that he hadn't been able to stop Slade. Angry that he hadn't been able to stop Robin. Angry that he had been so Goddamn useless! "You heard him too Speedy! We can't go looking for him! Robin-"_

_"Robin isn't coming back! Don't you get it! That was the whole point! Slade isn't stupid! He's not going to give Robin the chance to escape, or to fight back! He said he wanted to keep him as a fucking pet! Robin is worse off than the rest of us, don't you get it?! The second he stepped out that door, Robin, our Robin, he died! He won't ever come back, and you guys want to go out and look for him?! What do you even expect to find?" Speedy was shaking after his rant, he could hardly contain himself from breaking something._

_"Speedy, calm down." Wonder Woman coaxed him, thanking her lucky stars and stripes that Kid Flash hadn't been there as well._

_"Don't tell me to calm down! I know what I'm talking about." Speedy's voice cracked as he finally broke. "You weren't there, you didn't see it like we did, like I did. I've known Robin for eight years, I know him better than anyone here. He may have been wearing a mask, but I know what I saw. He's dead. He gave up so that Slade wouldn't kill the rest of us. He's always been like that. Always." He slammed his fist into the wall, the wall giving way and letting his fist make a hole as he continued. "And it's always pissed me off!"_

_"Speedy." Cyborg said, a hand on the archer's shoulder. Speedy just pushed him away, screaming at the other boy to "don't fucking touch" him. Soon after Batman came into view and Wonder Woman caught him up on what had happened._

_"I'll be there in ten minutes." he answered quickly, his eyes narrowing under his cowl. He knew that that man had been trouble, had been too much for the team … for Robin, and now he hears that his son had been kidnapped by him?! That just wasn't going to fly._

_"Don't bother. He's not Robin anymore." Speedy told him looking up at the Dark Knight evenly. "I saw it in his eyes." He added before leaving the room._

* * *

Slade sat in a comfortable patio chair and watched as Robin sat in the small field of flowers that were behind the cottage, he had decided that the boy needed some fresh air and sunlight, so he got some "time off" for good behavior. Lately Robin had become much more sociable with him, Slade had chalked the boy's change in attitude up to Stockholm syndrome, but at the same time, he didn't really mind. A compliant Robin was much easier to deal with than a Robin who kept fighting him every step of the way. And now he actually got to see the boy smile. Which, really was a miracle.

Before he had brought Robin there, he had figured that when it was time for him to make his move, it would be necessary to kill the young man, but he really didn't want to do that. Holding him captive though, seemed like a pretty good counter to the problem. He wouldn't have to kill him, and, with a little pushing, he could, hopefully, eventually, expect some affection from the boy. Though, in the beginning, managing ruling the world and an unruly teenage pet bird seemed to be a bit more than even Slade could handle. So when it came time for him to go out, he had taken to asking William Wintergreen to watch the boy. Slade had worried at first that the older man might not be enough, but as it turned out, Robin quite liked William, often saying he reminded him of Alfred.

Recently Robin had taken to talking a bit more about his friends and family. Especially his family. He would always tell stories of things he had done as a little boy that he had gotten in trouble for, both in the circus and with Batman, such as when he had surprised Batman at work. It had surprised Slade when the young man had opted for using names rather than aliases when talking about his close friends. He had even told Slade his own, not that he had needed to of course, but Slade wasn't going to tell him that he had already known his name, that might set things back again. But, the fact that he still chose to address his mentor as "Batman" instead of using his name, that surprised him the most, Slade wasn't sure if it was out of respect or if he just didn't like the man personally.

"There was one time when Batman was out of town on business, he did that a lot, but this time, Alfred made cookies and he let Wally and Roy come over too, it was a lot of fun. Wally even burnt his tongue because he didn't wait for the cookies to cool." He heard Richard laugh. He had been reminiscing a lot lately. Perhaps it was his way of coping. Because unlike his mentor, Batman, Richard was a very social boy, he needed to talk, he needed to have friends, even if they were just a memory.

"Which ones were they? Roy and Wally?" Slade asked offhandedly, he didn't really care much, but he liked seeing the sparkle of life in those deep sapphire blue eyes when he talked about his friends. When he didn't respond right away, Slade took a closer look over the top of his book; Robin wore a confused look, his brow drawn in a contemplative manner, like he was trying to figure out just what the other man had meant by the comment.

"What do you mean? They were Wally and Roy, they weren't anyone else." He finally answered. That threw the older man through a loop, he was pretty sure that Roy and Wally had been heroes as well, just like his little bird.

"Oh? I apologize then, so how did you meet the Titans? He asked instead, changing the subject.

"Who are the Titans?" Richard asked as he got to his feet and walked over to where Slade had been sitting on the patio. Slade paused a bit.  _Who are the Titans?_  What kind of trick question was that? They were the boy's best friends, the people who he had personally used against him to break him down and bring him here.

"You know, Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, even that annoying green one, Beast Boy. They were your team, your friends." Slade answered truthfully. He watched in mild shock as Robin laughed.

"Those are some funny names. Cyborg? Beast Boy?" The young teen gave another small giggle-esque laugh as he sat down at Slade's feet, picking the flowers that were growing there and leaned back against the mercenary's legs. "I don't know anyone by those names." He smiled and looked up happily. Slade looked down to Robin carefully, trying to see if there was any sign that this were a joke or if he was just lying to protect himself and his former team. He saw nothing, the boy's eyes were crystal clear, he had no idea who Slade was talking about. ... Well it did make it easier if they found him and tried to convince him to leave.

"If you don't know the Titans, who did you work with then?"

"Silly, Batman, of course. I am Robin after all. But then I decided that I didn't want to work with him anymore. Too bossy ya' know?" He shrugged then continued. "But it's much nicer here!" Robin stood up, a couple of white daisies in his hand as he moved closer to Slade, even surprising him by coming closer and sitting in his lap.

"Are you feeling okay Robin, you've never sat in my lap before." Sade smiled softly to him, after all, it wasn't an unwanted action. He had been meaning to teach Robin to sit on his lap for a while now actually. Less work for him he figured. After all, the whole point was to eventually get their relationship, if you could call it that, to the point where the young acrobat actually trusted and liked him enough to … well, Slade wanted to do a lot of things to that body, but he was a patient man and so he had to put forth the effort needed for his goal to become a reality. The older man's body went rigid for a split second when he felt Robin snuggle up to his chest, but soon got over it and began to run his fingers through the soft ebony locks of the adorable creature that had decided to grace his body with his presence.

"You looked comfy. That's all." Robin hummed contentedly, his eyes slipping shut as he started to doze off due to the man's warm body and comforting scent. And because of Slade's naturally large build, he was just the perfect size for Robin to be comfortable while he slept, but not be in the other man's way as he read. The daisies still in his hand, curled up under his chin, it seemed that Robin really liked white daisies as he seemed to pick a couple every time he came outside. Slade chuckled at the simple answer, the sound resonating from deep in his chest, as it burst forth from his lungs Robin felt his chest rise and fall, smiling as he snuggled closer, like a cat.

"I'm not a chair Richard, if you wanted to take a nap you could have gone back inside." Slade answered, a smirk playing at his lips. Robin's head turned to look up at him, one eye cracked open just barely.

"Are you saying that you don't like me?" The small bird asked, a pout on his lips, and Slade knew he was just playing with him. He sighed and put a hand on Robin's head, shaking his own head, smirking.

"No, I do like you, but that doesn't mean you can just sit on me whenever you please." Slade answered honestly. He liked having the boy this close, but he couldn't very well let the boy think he could do anything he damn well pleased. Slade was still in charge here … but he'd let it slide today. After all, it was such a nice day, and having Robin there on him felt nice.

* * *

It had been almost a year and a half since Robin had been abducted. And just a couple months after that Slade had launched his attack, slowly taking over one country at a time, making sure to take out the bigger threats first. America was one of the first to fall, Slade had made sure that he had the home of the brave and the land of the free under his thumb as soon as he had started. Honestly, there had hardly been any fight at all. Sure, the Heroes had tried to stop Slade, but they had never really gotten passed all of the "friends" that Slade had brought with him. Military, Villains, anyone and everyone who might be of even the most remote use to him; either by force, choice, or just the sheer hope that if they played their cards right they'd live. And then, after a while, one after another, each one fell, either by death, exhaustion, or just losing hope, and just like that. Slade had won. Superman had been the first to fall, Kryptonite laced bullets killing him slowly and painfully. Slade didn't believe in mercy when it came to those that didn't deserve it, and the Justice League definitely didn't deserve it.

* * *

"This is Beast Boy reporting for Sector FR9, I think I may have found something, I'm going in for a closer look. Don't send back up, repeat, don't sent back up." was broadcast through small communicators. They had gotten rid of the Titan communicators, in case Slade still had Robin's laying around somewhere. The few that were still alive and willing to fight had decided a couple months back, when it was obvious that they were doing more harm than good trying to fight Slade, that they were going to try to find Robin. Dead or alive, for better or for worse, They were going to find him and bring him back even if it killed them. … It was just a matter of time.

As Beast Boy got closer to what looked like a house he made sure to turn off his com link with the rest of the team before hearing a reply. He shifted to a smaller shape, a squirrel, and made his way over to a wooden fence just as a teenaged boy hopped up onto the fence and reached over it to pluck an apple from the tree right above the green changeling. It had startled him at first, but he soon realized that the boy hadn't noticed him. The boy had the same color hair as Robin, but it was longer, not unkempt, just long, and he was wearing simply a tee-shirt and some shorts, the weather was pretty good this time of year up here so the outfit made sense. Beast Boy watched as the boy hopped down from the fence and then leaned his back against it and started eating the Red apple he had just picked.

"Richard, don't eat too many, I'm making dinner soon and we're having Apple pie for dessert." an old man smiled from the back sliding glass door a good several meters away, if the changeling had to guess, he'd say about 40? The yard was a pretty good sized yard after all.

"I know! I promise to save room for dinner William." The boy laughed. Beast Boy was at a loss here. Here he was, in the mountains, in a secluded place, close enough to ground zero of the entire dominated world, and this little patch of greenery was completely left alone. It was hard to find sure, but surely they knew that there was a new evil dictator so close to their home didn't they? After the boy's reply the other man, William, just smiled and went back inside the cozy looking home, just leaving the boy in the yard.

"Psst." Beast Boy Whispered carefully to the boy sitting in front of him. The boy jumped, and looked around.

"Huh?" He turned his head behind him but didn't see anything. Beast Boy almost lost all ability to speak again when he saw those clear blue eyes. They were beautiful! He was so distracted, he hadn't noticed when said boy had shrugged and gone back to eating his apple, slumping down to lay in the grass, his head laying on one arm while the other brought the apple to his mouth again every now and then to take a bite. This time Beast Boy was louder.

"Psst!" right in the boy's ear. Said boy sat up so quick it'd put the flash to shame and looked around for a second time, again not seeing anything he warily laid back down, this time on his side, facing away from the fence. "Oi, I'm trying to get your attention, look down here!" Beast Boy snapped as loudly as he dared, which was hardly above an aggravated whisper. The boy turned around this time laying on his stomach, face to the fence, trying to locate the origin of the voice.

"Who said that?" he asked carefully.

"Down here." The boy looked down and saw a smiling green squirrel and shook his head, but when he looked back, it was still there. He took one look at Beast Boy, then to his Apple, then back to Beast Boy and chucked the Apple away over the fence into the tall green grass that the young Titan was hiding in.

"That wasn't you who was talking … was it?" The boy asked skeptically.

"Course it was, who else is here?" Beast boy asked smiling wider. The boy's eyes went wide .

"Um, I was told not to talk to … talking … green … squirrels … you should leave." The Boy answered hesitantly, moving to turn back around.

"What? Someone seriously told you not to talk to talking green squirrels? That's a pretty weird rule."

"Yeah, well you're a pretty weird squirrel."

'I'm not a squirrel. I'm a Titan."

"What's a Titan?" he asked laying back down to talk to the green animal face to face.

"You live this close to Jump City and don't know about the Titans?! Well, you don't hear much about us now seeing as most heroes have left that line of work, are dead, or are underground." Beast Boy muttered the last boy's face contorted, like he was trying to remember something, but he didn't quite know what.

"Why?" Seems the bigger boy had heard him all the same though.

"Dude, do you live under a rock? Because of the evil dictator that took over the world, Deathstroke, duh. The guy pretty much banned happiness, hope, and heroes. It's a mess out there man. Fire, death, muggings, anything and everything bad is going down." Beast Boy sighed. He was depressed all over again just thinking about everything that had become of the once great Jump city. "It's worse in other places too … "

"Wow, that does sound pretty bad, it's nothing like that here." The boy's big, innocent, deep blue eyes blinked and for just a moment, Beast Boy thought that maybe Slade hadn't stomped out everyone's hope, that this boy here was at least safe. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you mr. talking green squirrel, but Dinner's almost ready, and Slade will be mad if I'm late to dinner again." He smiled. Beast Boy's heart dropped.

"Slade?" He asked, choking out the name, as if just saying it would bring calamity, which, it just might knowing that man.

"Yeah, He's my master, He's really super nice to me too!" The boy chirped standing up again, stretching backwards all the way back to the ground so he was in and arch shape then sprang back up. "Would you like to meet him? We never have guests for dinner, I don't know why. I doubt William would mind."

"M-master?" The little green mammal squeaked. "Nah, it's okay, I'm actually looking for a friend of mine and should get back to searching." He paused, "What's you're name anyway?" The boy laughed.

"Well my real name is Richard, which is what William calls me, but Slade likes to call me Robin, sometimes he'll use my name though, when he's happy or if I do something he likes." He was about to walk back when he looked over his shoulder and asked why. That little piece of hope, that little whispering voice in his head that was telling him that everything would be okay, that they just had to find Robin … It had just died.

"Oh, No reason, just wanted to know the name of the cute boy who lived in fantasy world, that's all." Beast Boy tried to laugh it off. But with each sound leaving his lungs, he felt a little piece of him die. Speedy had been right, the Robin they had all known really was dead."

"Haha, William and Slade say I'm cute too, but I just thought they were teasing me. You really think I'm cute?" He paused, the light in those deep sapphire blue eyes was amazing and Beast Boy had a hard time believing that the happy, carefree, nice boy in front of him was really his Robin. "So, what's your name then? I mean, I just told you mine … it's only fair if you tell me yours." Robin waited for a response. Beast Boy swallowed, clearing his throat, trying to get the nerve to speak again.

"G-Garfield. My name is Garfield." He answered heavily. For now, it was best if he didn't tell him that they used to be teammates. Or his hero name, it was too dangerous. Whatever Slade had done to Robin … Beast Boy didn't know if he wanted to know. He  _did_  know however, that he had to tell the others that Robin was alive … physically at least. The real trick, was not telling Starfire. The weeks closely following Robin's disappearance had been the hardest on her, it had gotten so bad that the others had had to physically restrain her and lock her in her room. It truly was what was best for her. The team had no doubt in their minds that had they not locked her up then, that they would have lost her, that she would not be with them now. And the young Titan was pretty sure that news of this sort would only catapult her back into that dark state of depression and blind desperation.

"Well Garfield, it was nice meeting you, I hope you find your friend soon, it doesn't sound too safe out there right now." Robin smiled and then took off for the house. How the  _hell_  was he going to tell the team  _this_?

"Well … fuck." Beast boy muttered dejectedly as he turned on his heel and started back for the city. "Maybe I just shouldn't tell them." He groaned, his small squirrel head falling and lolling to the side. Yeah, that sounded like a better Idea.


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you mean he doesn't remember us?!"

"I mean he doesn't remember us! How much more simple could I possibly make it?!"

" … What did you say?"

"It just sort of happened. I brought up the Titans and he asked who we were, so I told him we were heros. At that point I didn't know it was him. Before I left I asked his name and he told me that it was Richard, but that  _Slade_  called him Robin." Beast Boy fell to the couch behind him that had been subjected to his and Cyborgs argument for the past twenty minutes, a hand in his spiked, silky soft green hair, and a sigh escaping passed his lips.

" … It sounds like it's him … at least he's alive."

"You can't tell Star."

"She deserves to know too!"

"Cy, she'll go crazy again!"

"No. We'll explain that he doesn't remember us, that he - maybe he's faking?" Cyborg offered hopefully, cutting himself off mid sentence.

"There was no one there but us, and I didn't see any camera's. I wouldn't put brainwashing beyond Slade. He does have brother blood working with him after all, doesn't he?"

"Star still deserves to know."

"She will. Later. Cy, you  _know_  that we can't tell her right now. You may be the boss but you're not thinking straight." Beast Boy stood up again and put a hand on Cyborg's shoulder. "You should take a break. All this … it's getting to you. Don't try to be Robin. You don't have to do it all alone. I'll take over for a bit. Okay?" The green boy gave his friend a reassuring smile. He knew that the position of leader was hard on the other teen, but he also knew that if it hadn't been for Cyborg, things could have been a lot worse. Currently they were all in an abandoned warehouse. It had become the Titan's secret HQ once the tower had been destroyed. All of the remaining honorary Titans and Titans East met there regularly but only the original Titan team stayed there permanently. That had been Cyborg's idea, if ever the enemy found out about their base they didn't want everyone to be in one place if there was an attack. They hardly saw Speedy anymore. He and Batman had been pretty much AWOL since Robin's disappearance. Kid Flash seemed to keep tabs on them, but he was only slightly better than Speedy about stopping by. The first week, once they had told Batman, they had had to tell the other Titans around the world. Wonder Woman had suggested telling Kid Flash in person … she had been right. It hadn't been easy and if Speedy hadn't been there to slap some sense into the speedster who know what might have happened.

"So  _you're_  going to tell Batman, Speedy, and Kid Flash that we found him then? After all, we're the only ones who know where they are." Beast Boy had surprisingly been the most stable of them all next to Cyborg, so he had been elected second in command. Raven had commented that he had matured much quicker than she thought he would have and didn't mind giving him her place if he could handle it when the decision had been made. The question seemed to make him falter though.

"Yeah … I can do that … go take a nap or something." BB sighed. Cyborg patted him on the shoulder.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I found him. I'll tell them. I'm sure Batman will want every detail and if you go then you'd just have to call me back anyways." His friend nodded and gave him a pained "good luck", smiled, and walked out of the room. His features showing just how tired he was. The emotional and physical strain of being leader … he hadn't realized that Robin had put up with all of this until it all fell on him.

"How did he do it?" Cyborg groaned under his breath as he opened the door to the office he'd converted into his room. He hadn't put too much thought into customizing it, instead leaving it as they had found it; the wallpaper peeling and the lights flickering. The windows were painted pitch black and the walls had holes in them in some places. The building looked like shit in some places, but the bulk of it was fine. Cyborg sat down on his bed and shook his head.  _Robin was alive._  Before now there was hardly any hope that they'd ever actually find him, let alone find him alive. But alive was really only a state of mind if he couldn't remember his life with them. And that was what hurt Cyborg the most. Robin had been his friend, his teammate, his leader. They had been close, they played games and had arguments, ate meals together … and for that all to be gone just like that … it wasn't right.

* * *

It had taken three days to get from Jump to Gotham, and Best Boy had been flying all night, hardly sleeping at all until he had crossed city borders. And then on top of that he still had to find the entrance to the Batcave. He yawned as the lack of sleep started to catch up with him and started to fall, expecting to make contact with the hard surface of the earth, he was surprised when the impact never came. He looked up and came face to face with someone who he had never seen before. He was wearing Robin's colors though. That made him mad.

"Who are you?" He asked. Trying not to let the anger into his voice. The boy laughed.

"Is that really anyway to talk to the guy who just saved your life?"

"Why did you go out of your way then?"

"Batman told me to keep an eye out for any suspiciously green animals or a black half machine man, Cyborg, I think he called him." the teenager grinned. He didn't seem perturbed at all by the current emergency state the world was in.

"Batman?"

"Yeah, you're Beast Boy, right?" Beast Boy changed back into his human form and pushed the boy away once they landed on the ground. The Robin imposter gave him a once over. In the last year and a half Beast Boy had changed. He wasn't that plucky little gamer movie nerd anymore. The teen took in his larger than expected build and the fairly well pronounced muscles, whistling while he did so. "Guess you guys in Jump aren't just sitting on your asses all day twiddling your thumbs." He sniggered. Beast Boy growled.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?! We're ground Zero! You think we just gave up or something? Jump is head of the underground resistance against Deathstroke, against Slade. Just who are you anyway?! You're not Robin."

"How very perceptive of you. You're right. I'm not the  _original_  Robin, but I am Robin. Batman needed a new sidekick, so that gotham didn't know the first Robin left. I've been acting in Dicky-bird's place for a while now."

"Dicky-bird?" Beast Boy momentarily forgot that he had been angry at the imposter.

"It's just a little nick name, I like teasing my little brother after all." Beast boy scoffed at the words. Robin didn't have a brother … at least, he didn't think he did. It had never really bothered him until now that he really didn't know that much about Robin. They had been best friends, teammates, family for God's sake! Robin knew everything about him. His name, the doom patrol. He didn't have a single secret from the former TItans' leader. And yet, He didn't know a single thing about Robin. Not even why he had left Gotham!

"Whatever. I doubt he even remembers you though." He hadn't meant to say it. It had just sort of … slipped out.

"You found him?! He's alive?! Does he have amnesia?" Beast Boy turned his head away as the other Robin asked him frantically, his tone worried. It almost sounded like he was going to cry.

" … I need to talk to Speedy, Kid Flash, and Batman." The Robin imposter nodded and called for his bike, gesturing for Beast Boy to get on.

"You're tired right? Get on and I'll drive." Any other time he would have declined, but after his anger had dissipated a bit he could hardly keep his eyes open. He was vaguely aware of the passing scenery as he held tight to the older boy, his head resting on the teen's back and drifting in and out of consciousness before finally succombing to his desprate need for sleep. The first thing he noticed when he woke up was that he was in the Batcave. The second was that he had five people staring at him intently. One was an ancient looking older man. The others, Beast Boy finally noticed, were the three he had come to see and the Robin impersonator.

"Jason said you found him?" Kid Flash announced hopefully, but still made sure it sounded like a question as the changeling was waking up.

"How long was I out for?" Beast Boy groaned.

"Ten hours. You're killing us here, did you find him or not?" The other Robin finally snapped.

"Ten hours? Damn. Wait … Who's Jason?" Beast Boy asked looking to KF questioningly. The other Robin sighed.

"Nice KF, fine. Me. I'm Jason. Jason Todd. Now get on with it!" Jason demanded. Beast Boy shook his head, the dizziness starting to ebb away.

"I think I found him. He's alive … I guess … He said Slade calls him Robin, but that his name was Richard."

"That's him." Batman nodded his head solemnly.

"What do you mean he's alive you guess?" KF asked carefully, trying not to let on just how relieved he was that his best friend was alive and that they had found him.

"He's alive in the sense that he's still among the living … for now anyway … But he doesn't remember us, the Titans. He didn't recognize me when I found him in the Mountains behind Jump. He asked; "What's a Titan" when I mentioned us. I don't know if he remembers you all or not. I didn't have a whole lot of time to talk to him." Beast Boy sighed.

"So, Amnesia then?" Kid Flash asked again.

"It's more likely Stockholm Syndrome. When a captive is constantly with someone and there's no escape, the brain will repress memories that it deems too painful for the body to remember and gradually you will come to actually like the captor, or feel sympathy for him at the very least. You become attached. That's probably why he can't remember the Titans." Speedy spoke up for the first time since Beast Boy had woken.

"Poor Master Richard, he must have been put through a lot for his mind to just give in like that." the older man finally commented and Batman put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay Alfred, for all we know, it could just be an act." Beast Boy shook his head.

"He looked too happy talking about Slade. I could see it in his eyes, It's not an act."

"You saw his eyes?"

"Yeah … so what?" Beast Boy asked carefully, giving Kid Flash a strange look. He seemed slightly miffed for some reason.

"That's not fair! Do you know how long I had to wait for Robin to show  _me_  his eyes?!"

"What? All of two weeks, Kid, he showed us both pretty soon after meeting him." Speedy rolled his eyes as he gave his two cents. BB could have sworn he had just heard Batman give a disapproving grunt when Speedy had said just how long it took for Robin to cave.

"So? That's not the point!" Speedy gave Kid Flash a flat look, as if asking "really?".

"KF. He didn't show Beast Boy because he wanted to. I bet Slade took Robin's mask off himself."

"That's almost worse." the ginger boy pouted, seeming more and more depressed as the seconds passed by like hours, and the minutes like days. Beast Boy felt like he was missing something. He hadn't really realized that the two boys sitting in front of him now had been closer to Robin than his team had. The thought had never even crossed his mind. They hardly ever saw Speedy or Kid Flash, it didn't make sense for them to be best friends with Robin. Of course … if KF and Speedy were Robin's best friends, or close enough to see his eyes anyway … what did that make him? What did that make the rest of the original Titans team? Cyborg, Raven, Starfire … they were all best friends, how could he go back and say that they were anything less? And then there was that Jason boy. He claimed to be Robin's brother, but he was just Robin's replacement! His Robin had left and so Batman had gone out and gotten a new sidekick to replace him, as if it was really that simple. That didn't seem right, not fair at all … maybe that was what their fight had been about?

"So what's the rescue plan then?" Jason asked, eager to get on with things.

"We don't have one as of yet. We've only just now located him, and if he doesn't remember us, it'll be too dangerous to try and get him to leave. He seems genuinely fond of Slade right now."

"Fuck that! He'll remember  _us_." Jason protested. Beast Boy could feel his patience waning, thinning even more with every word that the Robin imposter spewed.

"That doesn't matter! Speedy, you were there, you remember what Slade said; if we go after him, we die. We have to have a plan, something foolproof."

"He's right Jason, we can't just barge in like we own the place and demand Slade return him. We'll all end up dead at that rate."

"Then what's the fucking plan?" he growled angrily.

"I'll tell you as soon as we have one." Beast Boy answered just as his communicator went off.

_"Cyborg to Beast Boy, BB, do you copy?"_

"Cyborg this is Beast Boy, what is it?" Beast Boy asked carefully.

_"It's Star, she's gone. I can't find her anywhere!"_

" … Does she know about Robin?"

_"I don't think she does, I didn't tell her, did you?"_

"No, of course not, only you and I know on the team! … Oh God, do you think she heard us talking a while back and went to look for him?! Cy, she's gonna get herself killed if she goes after him!"

_"I know, I'm on my way to the site, but so far I can't find her, she's turned off the trackers and she left her comm at the base. If she's there, I don't know where."_

"Let me go, I'll zip around and look, give me the coordinates." KF offered. "I promise, I won't try to take back Robin if I see him." He added as an afterthought. Beast Boy sighed.

"It's your call capitan. You heard him too." there was silence for a while before Cyborg finally agreed with a sigh.

_"Fine, send him. He's faster anyway."_

"Great! On my way Cyborg!" The speedster sounded a bit more happy than the green changeling would have liked to hear him be, but there was nothing he could do about it now, it was out of his hands.

"Don't mess with him if you see him. Just bring Starfire back to the base if you find her, if you don't … then come back sooner. Don't stay to see him, he won't recognize you." Beast Boy warned.

"Look, I know that you're second in command of  _your_  team, but I'm not on your team, I'm on my own. I'll listen to you only as far as finding your missing teammate, but if I see him, I want to see with my own eyes that he doesn't remember me."

"Kid Flash, I'm going to have to agree with Beast Boy on this one. It's too dangerous to interact with Robin at this point. If you see him, make sure he doesn't see you." the speedster scoffed as Batman lectured him.

"You want to know too don't you? I can ask about all of us! Speedy, Jason, you, me, Alfred … He has to remember us. He just has to! We've known eachother since forever!"

"Nine years old is not forever KF." Speedy interjected, trying to calm his friend down.

"It is for a speedster! Now, give me those coordinates Beast Boy. Now."

* * *

_"And then I met a talking green squirrel named Garfield! At first I could hardly believe that a squirrel could talk, let alone be green and not dead, but he seemed nice." Robin smiled as he went on about his day over dinner with Slade and William._

_"What else did your squirrel friend say?" Slade prompted calmly, he was sure it was the Titans, but he didn't want to cause a scene at the dinner table and worry Robin._

_"He said he was a Titan" Slade had guessed as much, but at least now he didn't have to tell the boy "… I know I've heard that word before but … I just can't quite put my finger on it."_

_"Never mind that Robin, if Garfield comes around again, tell me or Slade right away, alright?" William told Robin as he noticed the small twitch in Slade's eye. Robin nodded and went back to his dinner, The rest of the evening passing in a daze. And though he didn't really look it, the teen could tell that hearing about the green squirrel had put Slade in a rather … testy … mood for the rest of the night and so, made sure to be on his best behavior._

That had been three nights ago, Robin hadn't given it much thought … that was, until he was face to face with an orange, crying girl who could fly.

"Oh, friend Robin it really is you!" She cried happily, throwing herself at him, tears streaming down her face. "You must leave this place at once with me! Everyone will be so happy that you are alive and well!"

"What? Who are you? What are you going on about?!" To say that the crazy flying girl was freaking him out was totally an understatement. She should be admitted to a mental institution! She had obviously lost her mind.

"It is me; friend Starfire. Do you not remember me Robin?" She asked carefully. "So it was true? What friend Beast Boy and friend Cyborg were talking about? … You do not remember us? You do not remember your friends, your comrades?" The tears began to grow and soon she was all out bawling, still clinging onto him as if her life depended on it.

"I don't know any Starfires, get away from me! Slade, William! Help!" He would have tried to fight her himself, but the girl was stronger than she looked and he could hardly move at all, let alone fight the girl off. The girl gasped and looked at him with hurt eyes.

"Slade? Why would you call for him? He is the man who did this to you, he is the enemy!"

"No! Slade is my master, he takes care of me! He's nice to me! You're crazy!" Robin shook his head, as he tried wiggling out of the girl's grasp, but to no avail.

"Come! I shall take you home, I shall show you your friends!"

"NO! I don't know you, I don't  _want_  to know you! Slade! William! Help!" No sooner had the name slipped off his tongue did the man himself appear. The look on his face was hard as he glared at the strange girl holding Robin to her fairly well endowed chest.

"Let him go." Slade growled low and deep in his throat. Robin was glad that it wasn't him that that threatening glare was pointed at. Robin tried kicking at her again, as if flailing whatever appendages he actually  _could_  move would solve the problem. It didn't. But it  _did_  seem to make it a bit more difficult for the girl, Starfire, to hold onto him.

"No! I shall not. You have stolen our Robin away, and I am here to take him back!" Starfire shouted, the tears in her eyes not deterring her in the slightest. Slade's eye narrowed and pulled out a gun from behind him. He always had it, Robin wasn't entirely sure why, but at this point, he was glad he did.

"Put him down and I might decide to let you live."

"I will do no such thing!"

"Star! Put him down." That voice. Robin knew that voice, but how? And where had it come from? Robin ceased his useless struggling and looked over the orange woman's shoulder, spotting a boy who couldn't be much older than himself with stunning ginger hair in a red and yellow form-fitting suit.

"But why? Kid Flash, it is Robin, our Robin, we must take him back!" the girl pled. The boy shook his head.

"No Star, that's not him. That boy just looks like our Robin, he's not the same person." He seemed sad almost as he locked his piercing emerald green eyes onto him. As if he could see right into Robin's soul. He didn't know why, but somehow, that hurt him.

"I am positive it is him! You did not hear Beast Boy and Cyborg, they know that this is indeed our Robin. He just can not remember us. He does not remember you, do you not wish to see him again?" And Robin felt it, it was just the slightest change, but her grip had weakened just enough for Robin to slip out of Starfire's arms and run back over to Slade. Hiding behind the larger man, he glared at the girl.

"Of course I want to see him again, but that's not him Star. As much as you really want him to be, that's not our Robin … and I fear that it never will be. Let's just go, before-

_BANG_

His words died on his tongue as the shot rang out, his eyes going wide as he watched Starfire fall to the ground, the blood pouring from her head where the bullet from Slade's gun had hit her.

"Starfire! Starfire no! Why did you shoot her?! She was going to leave! I was going to make her leave!" Kid Flash zipped over to the dying alien, trying as hard as he could to stop the bleeding, but he knew that it was pointless, that she was already beyond help. Even being an alien, she couldn't live after a shot to the head. Slade pushed Robin to William's side as he came out late, upon seeing the dead girl several yards away, William promptly took Robin and pulled him back into the house. Robin could hardly take his eyes off of the scene before him. That voice. He knew that voice. How did he know that voice? The ginger boy started to cry, sobbing over Starfire's dying body.

They had lost so many and it had taken all the Titans had had to keep Star alive this long, and to throw it all away like this … "Why did you shoot her?" the boy steadied his voice as he looked up to meet Slade's glare with one of his own.

"I warned her, I warned all of you; if you come after Robin I will kill you. Since you seemed to have only come to stop her, I will let you live, but only if you leave now." the tone in Slade's voice left no room for argument, but Kid Flash was not one to back down so easily.

"What makes you think I'll listen to you?" He demanded.

"Wally …?" He hadn't meant to say it out loud. It had just slipped out. He didn't even know why he had said it. But the boy with the beautiful red hair and amazing green eyes stood still. Almost frozen. William looked over to him quizzically.

"Who's Wally?" he asked gently.

"He sounds like … but he's not … I don't think …" Robin looked back over to the boy, around Slade and straining in William's grasp. Slade's glare intensified as he watched the other teen fall to the ground, a shocked smile beginning to form on his lips. He took off his mask and ran over to the raven haired boy, his best friend. He still remembered him!

"No! It's me, Dick, it's me." he cried as he hugged him. "It's Wally you remember me?" Wally cried happily, not caring that he could get shot for this. Robin just stood there for a moment, not quite sure what to do, looking to Slade as if asking permission to embrace his friend. Slade sighed and begrudgingly nodded his approval.

"O-of course I remember you Wally, why are you so clingy? It hasn't been that long … and what are you doing in that ridiculous outfit?" Robin chuckled.

"My uniform you mean? I've always worn this, you used to like it." Robin hadn't noticed Slade pointing the gun at Wally's back, but William did, giving the man a very disapproving look.

"Richard, why don't you and Wally go inside to the parlor, and I'll make you two some tea, alright?" the older man smiled. Robin nodded his head enthusiastically and pulled Wally to the back door.

"Thanks William!" William smiled and nodded at Robin as he walked over to Slade.

"You can't kill that boy, not if Richard recognizes him. That's one of the boys he talks a lot about. I very much doubt that it'll make your end all goal much closer if you kill one of his best friends." He sighed. "What would it hurt to let him visit every now and then? We can keep them in the sitting room when he's over to keep an eye on him if you would like."

"It seems he doesn't remember that Wally is a hero … if that starts to come back, then I'll do something about him, but until then … I suppose you're right. Let's go." Back inside Richard and Wally were talking animatedly about this and that, but Slade wasn't paying it much mind, only listening when he heard names pop up every now and then that he knew.

"Really? Jason is worried?"

"Of course, So is Alfred and Roy … even Bruce is worried about you."

"But they shouldn't be, I'm just fine, see?"

"But we didn't know that. Dick, you've been gone for almost two years now. You didn't call, you didn't write, you just left us to think that you were dead …" Suddenly the mood wasn't quite as light anymore as a wave of depression washed over the ginger boy. "A lot of people are dead."

"What do you mean?"

"You're  _"friend"_  over there killed them all."

"William?"

"No, Slade! He's killed hundreds of people!" Richard laughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. "Dick, this is serious! What are you laughing about?!"

"You keep talking about him like he's some evil mad man, Wally, Slade isn't as bad as you seem to think he is. He may have killed a few people, but I'm sure they deserved it if he did."

"What about Starfire? He shot her in cold blood right in front of you."

"She was crazy, and frankly, she scared me a bit. How do you know her anyway?" Dick asked, tilting his head a bit.

"Alright boys, let's take a tea break." William interjected cheerily just as Wally opened his mouth to explain, placing a cup of hot tea in front of them both along with two small cookies, the older man not missing the small smirk Slade was trying his best to hide. Robin grinned and snatched up the first cookie and bit into it.

"Thanks William!"

"You know the rules Richard, no talking with your mouth full." William smiled down to him. Wally seemed to have a somewhat … different reaction though. The thought of eating anything right now, while usually always the best idea to ever pop into his mind, made him sick to his bottomless pit of a stomach.

"Sorry." Dick glanced over to Wally, noticing that he hadn't touched his cookies, swallowed. "What's wrong? You're not eating … they're good, are you sick?"

"Yeah … something like that." He paused and pushed his cookies onto Richard's plate. "You can have mine." He picked up his cup and began to sip at the hot beverage, looking around deciding that he should get to know the area should he need to make a hasty retreat.

_"KF, come in, did you find her? Are you okay? What's going on! Answer us! KF!"_ the sound of the vaguely familiar voice startled Richard, causing him to jump a bit.

"Jay, calm down, yeah. I found her. She's dead though." there was a gasp on the other end and then a pause before anything else was said. "I found Richard too." Wally answered eyeing Robin as he spoke, a sad smile tugging at his lips.

_"You did? … You didn't say anything to him did you? Cyborg gave you orders -"_

"He remembered me."

_"He what?"_

"He remembers you too." Wally held out his wrist to Richard, as if asking if he wanted to say anything.

_"Don't fuck with me West. You haven't gone crazy too have you?"_

"Wanna talk to Jason?" Wally asked softly, nodding to his wrist communicator.

" … C-can I?" He asked, not quite sure who he was asking, but turned to Slade nonetheless, he did have the final say after all was said and done. Slade sighed.

"It's late, I think your friend needs to leave now, say good night Richard." was the only response he got though. Robin gave a look of mild hurt before Slade caved. Really, that boy would be the death of him, but honestly, with how much progress they had made, he could hardly tell the boy no to anything. So sighing, he motioned to Wally's communicator. "You can say good night to Jason too." The look in the young man's eyes was that of pure joy as he asked Wally how to use the communicator, not wanting to waste time trying to figure it out himself. Wally held down the button as he spoke.

"Jason? It's me, Richard." Silence. There was nothing from the other end for almost a full minute, but it felt like so much longer.

_"Dicky-bird? Is that really you?"_  Richard chuckled a bit.

"Course it's me silly, who else would it be?"

"Dicky-bird?" Slade asked, slightly confused. Wally shrugged.

"Dick is short for Richard and he's Robin; Dicky-bird is just what Jay calls him."

_"And you remember me?"_

"Of course, why wouldn't I? You and Wally both asked that. Have I forgotten something I was supposed to remember? Did I miss your birthdays or something?" He looked over to Slade and William. "Did I send birthday cards? … I can't remember …"

_"No! It's not that. I just- It's good to hear your voice again."_

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Metamorphosis](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3312554) by [cutemangareader](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutemangareader/pseuds/cutemangareader)




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